Beatles legend Paul McCartney’s stolen bass guitar has been found and returned after more than five decades.
Paul McCartney’s original bass guitar, which the legendary musician used in The Beatles’ early years, has been found and returned after it was stolen more than five decades ago.
The 81-year-old singer-songwriter was reunited with the left-handed Höfner 500/1 Violin Bass after its manufacturer and a husband-and-wife team of journalists embarked on a search for the missing instrument in 2018 that later became a crowdsourcing campaign called The Lost Bass Project.
A statement shared Wednesday on McCartney’s website confirmed that the guitar had been discovered and returned to its original owner.
“Following the launch of last year’s Lost Bass project, Paul’s 1961 Höfner 500/1 bass guitar, which was stolen in 1972, has been returned. The guitar has been authenticated by Höfner and Paul is incredibly grateful to all those involved,” the statement read.
Originally purchased by McCartney in 1961 for $37, the guitar is now estimated to be worth $12.6 million, according to The Associated Press.
The guitar was McCartney’s primary instrument when The Beatles were first getting their start with a series of residencies in Hamburg, Germany. McCartney played the instrument on The Beatles’ first two albums, and it was featured on hits such as “Love Me Do,” “Twist and Shout” and “She Loves You.”
“Because I was left-handed, it looked less daft because it was symmetrical,” McCartney once said, per the AP. “I got into that. And once I bought it, I fell in love with it.”
The guitar was originally believed to have been stolen during the iconic band’s recording sessions for their final album, “Let It Be,” in 1969.
